We’re expecting something a bit different from the usual superficial celebrity endorsement with the announcement that Lady Gaga will become creative director for Polaroid (more accurately, a special line of their products). With Gaga, nothing is ever straightforward and as a proposition in herself, she is the triumph of style, with just enough substance to keep us preoccupied. What Lady Gaga and her management have realised, is that to maintain global stardom one must provide continual eye candy. Her music – safe, unoriginal euro electro – just about justifies her place in the charts, but her fashion sense is what keeps the public eye gazing. Gaga’s constant shape-shifting is a lesson learned from the ultimate chameleon and brand icon Madonna. Indeed, just making music is not enough. In the 21st Century what matters more than when selling records is the style, not the substance.

Gaga’s promos promote such a notion. These stylised epics with multiple sets, special effects and costume changes are fundamental to an approach to commercial success that involves several brand relationships. Her latest video, Bad Romance, featured a total of eight brands, from Philippe Starck furniture to an HP ’Envy’ Laptop, taking in Nintendo’s Wii, clothes from McQueen and Burberry as well as Gaga’s own branded Dre Beats earphones.


Indeed, Gaga and Polaroid is a perfect match. A Polaroid is an imperfect image – a fleeting moment captured by a tangible form. It is retro, yet possessing a post-digital mechanism that delights Gaga’s young, trendy audience. Like her music, it is flawed, but like her image, it’s so much fun we don’t mind. For those reasons this is a brand partnership that is sure to yield more than just a camera.


Thanks to Gavin Cumine for this story. Gavin is not your typical Gavin.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Branding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.